The cases of Ebola in Bamako, Mali, are related to an ongoing Ebola outbreakthat has been occurring since March 2014 in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

This has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a travel alert to notify travelers that a few Ebola cases have been reported in Bamako, Mali, and to inform them of actions they can take to reduce their risk of getting the disease.

CDC recommends that travelers to Mali protect themselves by avoiding contact with the blood and body fluids of people who are sick, because of the possibility they may be sick with Ebola. Although a cluster of cases has been reported only in Bamako, travelers to all parts of Mali should be alert for reports of possible further spread within the country.

The federal health agency says Ebola is a rare and deadly disease. The disease is caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus species (Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo, or Tai Forest virus). It is spread by direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with

blood or body fluids (such as urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola,

objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus, and

infected fruit bats or primates (apes and monkeys).

Signs of Ebola include fever and symptoms such as severe headache, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.